Reviews: Bridgestone Golf Balls

Golf is a fun activity for some, a hobby for others, and an occupation for a few others. No matter what your level of involvement with the game of golf you must select the ball that is right for your game. In this article we will review one of the most popular models of Bridgestone golf balls: The Bridgestone Tour B XS. We will take a closer look at its design and performance and compare it to some of its competition to help you choose the best ball for your game.

For high handicap players, cost should be the most important factor when selecting a golf ball because they won't get the benefits of using a more advanced ball. Besides, who wants to spend almost $ a ball if all you are going to do is hit it in the water? For mid to low handicap players and professionals, ball selection is a crucial factor.

WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT BRIDGESTONE GOLF BALLS?

The Bridgestone company was founded in 1931 and began producing golf balls in 1935. Although the company gained a healthy market share in golf ball sales, Bridgestone did not start manufacturing clubs until 1972. Today, the company is headquartered in Covington, Georgia, and manufactures a full line of golf equipment under both the Bridgestone name and the less known Precept brand. Bridgestone currently manufacturers a full line of golf balls to meet the needs of any player. Several PGA and LPGA players endorse Bridgestone Golf balls including Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar.

Bridgestone golf balls are designed to meet the needs of any player. The B series balls are designed for tour-level accuracy, distance and feel. The E series are distance oriented balls for players that want to maximize their distance off the tee and are willing to sacrifice some feel and control. The Precept brand, which is manufactured by Bridgestone, is designed to offer outstanding performance at a lower price.

PRODUCT SPECS

The Bridgestone Tour B XS golf ball is one of the top golf balls on the market. This ball is turning more pros on to Bridgestone golf balls. Tiger Woods uses the Tour B XS having switched from Nike brand golf balls. The Tour B XS is a three piece design featuring a new core technology Bridgestone calls its Gradational core. This core allows Bridgestone golf balls such as the Tour B XS to reach very high initial speeds while maintaining a lower compression rate. The Tour B XS has a compression rate of 75 which is in line with many other tour quality golf balls and gives it distance without risk of overcompression for players with high swing speeds. Another feature of the Gradational core is that it has been engineered to reduce side spin which greatly improves accuracy off the tee, especially for players that tend to spin the ball more. The cover of the Tour B XS is urethane which gives this ball a soft feel while maintaining durability. Also, the urethane cover tends to create more spin on wedge shots and short iron shots, allowing the players more ability to shape their shots and hold firm greens.

EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN

The cover of the Bridgestone Tour B XS also features a dual dimple design which has been used on a few other models of Bridgestone golf balls including the Tour B X and 330 series. This design is basically a dimple within a dimple which reduces drag on the ball, allowing it to fly further and roll longer than other Bridgestone Golf balls and most other balls. Most users report increases in distance with the Tour B XS due to increased roll and its slightly lower, penetrating ball flight.

With approach shots, the Tour B XS performs very well with excellent distance control and feel. Also, users report that this ball feels similar to the Pro V1 off the putter with a slight "tock" and very slight compression. Bridgestone designed this ball to feel soft but not too soft, and they have more than succeeded. Overall, this is an outstanding golf ball that rivals any tour quality ball on the market. However, this ball is designed for the lower handicap players as higher handicap players may not notice a significant difference.

PRICING

Bridgestone Golf balls are some of the best values on the market. The Tour B XS is available for around $$ a dozen making it on the high end of price ranges for golf balls. However, this price is in line with similar products on the market and is very reasonable for such a high performance product.

HOW IT COMPARES

We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.

COMPOSITION/CONSTRUCTION

The Bridgestone Tour B XS is composed of high quality materials including a urethane cover, a dual dimple design. This ball is designed for performance and durability and won't disappoint in either of these categories.

Design Quality

This ball is very well designed with its Gradation core which has lower compression rates but higher ball speeds. Also, the dual dimple design reduces drag giving this ball slightly better distance characteristics than the Tour B X.

Distance/Accuracy

The Bridgestone Tour B XS offers outstanding distance with its innovative Gradation core and dual dimple design that reduce drag and spin which maximizes distance off the tee. Also, this ball has been engineered to reduce side spin which greatly improves accuracy.

Guarantee

Bridgestone Golf balls come with a one year warranty against manufacturer defects.

The Titleist AVX is an outstanding golf ball from a company that is known for uncompromising quality: Titleist. The AVX is a three piece design with a urethane cover and 352-dimple design. The core of the AVX is slightly larger which offers lower compression rates than many of its competitors and increased ball speeds. This ball is designed to have a soft feel while producing excellent distance off the tee. The AVX has a penetrating ball flight and a low trajectory off the tee which results in more roll, greater distance in windy conditions, and better accuracy.

The AVX also gives the player high spin rates off the wedge which results in a fast stopping shot for excellent control. The Titleist AVX has a nice soft and responsive feel on the putting green which is desirable when trying to control distance. Overall, the AVX is a tour caliber ball which offers outstanding performance form a manufacturer that golfers trust.

COMPOSITION/CONSTRUCTION

The AVX is an extremely well constructed ball with its solid three piece design, and unique core technology that give it outstanding distance and accuracy while maintaining short game control.

Design Quality

Titleist made quite an investment in research and development to come up with the AVX. This ball is very well designed and may surpass its own flagship ball: The Pro V1.

Distance/Accuracy

The Titleist AVX offers outstanding distance and accuracy off the tee with its penetrating ball flight. Also, this ball allows enough spin on approach shots to allow the player to shape their shots and stop them on firm greens.

Guarantee

Titleist offers a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects.

PROS

Outstanding distance off the tee

Great in windy conditions due to lower trajectory

Outstanding control and short game feel

CONS

Cost

Only single handicap players will benefit from using this ball

VOL​​​​​​VIK S4 GOLF BALLS

The Volvik S4 golf ball is a premium four piece golf ball manufactured by Volvik, a Korea based company. The most unique thing about this ball is that it is available off the shelf in many different colors. In terms of design, the S4 is designed to be a soft, high spinning ball that should maximize a player's shot making ability with mid-iron, short-iron and wedge shots. The core of this ball is somewhat softer than most other tour level balls which can lead to some distance loss for extremely high swing speeds. However, the increased spin and shot shaping ability may be worth the trade off for some golfers.

COMPOSITION/CONSTRUCTION

This ball is designed to give the player soft feel and high spin. However, the higher compression core can lead to some distance loss.

Design Quality

The S4 is a well designed four piece ball that has a urethane cover for soft feel and durability.

Distance/Accuracy

The Volvik S4 offers excellent spin and shot shaping characteristics but can cost you a few yards in distance, especially for players with high swing speeds.

The Taylormade TP5 is a premium golf ball thatl features a unique 5 piece design with a three layer core. The cover is urethane which is the most common choice for premium golf balls. According to Taylormade, the five piece design gives the player more spin control than a three or four piece ball. The TP5 has higher spin rates off the tee which results in a higher trajectory ball flight than most tour caliber balls, resulting in a longer carry distance than most of its competitors. The TP5 offers high spin rates on wedge shots and superb feel on the putting green.

COMPOSITION/CONSTRUCTION

The TP5 is constructed of high quality materials including a soft urethane cover and firmer inner cover. This ball is designed to increase distance while maintaining accuracy and control.

Design Quality

The TP5 is very well designed with its innovative tri-layer core that offers high ball speeds with its low compression rates. This minimizes the risk of distance loss for very fast swing speeds.

Distance/Accuracy

Taylormade has designed this ball to produce excellent distance off the tee with its higher launch angle and higher spin rates. This creates longer carry distances off the tee without sacrificing accuracy.

Guarantee

Taylormade offers a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects with the TP5.

PROS

Outstanding distance off the tee

High spin rates on wedge shots

Soft feel

CONS

Cost

Not intended for high handicap players

CONCLUSION

The premium golf ball market is very crowded and competitive and Bridgestone golf balls are a major player. A competitive market is good for consumers because manufactures must continue to seek out advantages over the competition. Bridgestone's Tour B XS is an excellent example of a competitive market leading to excellent products.

The Tour B XS offers outstanding distance off the tee with its penetrating ball flight, low spin rates off the tee, and improved accuracy. It performs just as well with high spin rates on wedge shots with a soft feel on the putting green. If you are a low handicap player, the Bridgestone Tour B XS is an excellent choice.